Effect of estrous cycle phase on vulvar, orbital area and muzzle surface temperatures as determined using digital infrared thermography in buffalo.

The objective of this study was to evaluate variations in the orbital area, muzzle and vulva surface temperatures and progesterone (P4) concentrations during follicular and luteal phases in Murrah buffalo and whether these temperatures are influenced by the weather patterns. Forty cows were submitted to P4-based hormonal protocol. After P4 device withdrawal transrectal ultrasonography and infrared digital thermography were performed daily until day 16 and on days 20, 24, 28 and 32 to follow the ovulation as well as the vulva, orbital area and muzzle temperatures.

Characterization of the LH peak after short and long fixed-time artificial insemination protocols in sheep raised in the tropics.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the peak in luteinizing hormone (LH) and the pregnancy rate of sheep (Texel × Santa Inês) in the tropics using short- (6 days) and long-term (12 days) progesterone protocols followed by artificial insemination (AI) both in and out of the breeding season. Experiment 1 was conducted within (IN) the breeding season (autumn, n = 36), and experiment 2 was conducted outside (OUT) of the breeding season (spring, n = 43). In each experiment, the sheep were divided into two groups (6 or 12 days) according to the duration of treatment with a single-use progesterone release vaginal device (CIDR , Pfizer, São Paulo, SP, Brazil), and blood samples were collected from 10 animals per group every 4 hr to measure the LH and progesterone concentrations.